Swing.



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SWING.

APPLICATION man Aucms. I915.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 R. W. POTTINGER.

SWING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26. 1916.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEE[ 2.

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BAY W. POTTINGER, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SWING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

Application filed August 26, 1916. Serial No. 117,023.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY W. Po'r'riNGnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Swings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to swings, and it has for its object to produce a simple and improved device of this class which may be utilized as a porch swing and which may also be suspended from a suitable frame structure, and which will in a simple and effective manner adapt itself to any positidn assumed by the occupant.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and improved swing in which the forward movement of the back frame will be arrested at a predetermined point when it assumes a position approximately at right angles to the seat portion of the device.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and efi'ective locking means whereby the parts of the swing may be temporarily secured against movement at various adjustments.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the improved swing suspended from a suitable frame structure.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing the device in a reclining position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 55 in Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The improved swing is provided with a seat composed of side bars 15 and slats 16 connecting the same. The side bars 17 of the back are pivotally connected with the side bars 15 near the rear ends of the latter by pivot members 18, the side bars 17 of the back having also been shown as being connected together by slats 19. The side bars 20 of the leg rest which are connected together by slats 21 are connected with the side bars 15 by pivot members 22, the side members 20 being extended a material distance above said pivots 22 for the attachment of the forward ends of the arm rests A which are connected with the side members 20 near the upper ends of the latter by pivot members 24-. It will be observed that the pivot members 24: are set well. forward toward the front edges of the side members 20, while the pivot members 22 are set Well rearward toward the rear side edges of the side members 20. The arm rests A are L- shaped in cross section, each arm rest comprising a substantially vertical flange portion 23 and a horizontal inwardly extending flange portion 25, the latter being provided at the rear end thereof with a notch 26 forming a shoulder or offset 27. The vertical. flanges 23 of the arm rests are connected with the side members 17 of the back: by means of pivots 28. It will be seen that by offsetting the pivot 22 to the rearward and the pivot 24 to the forward with respect to the side pieces 20 of the leg rest, the distance between the pivots 24 and 28 will exceed the distance between the pivots 22 and 18, thereby giving to the back a slightly inclined position when the seat, the leg rest and the back are all extended to a position as nearly as possible in a horizontal plane, as indicated in Fig. 4.

Secured on each of the side members 15 of the back is a U-shaped clip or clamp 29, said clamp being secured partly by fastening members, such as screws 30, and partly by the bolt or pivot member 28 which extends therethrough. ()ne arm of the clamp 29 is extended around the vertical flange 23 of the arm rest and forwardly with re spect to the side members 17, producing an arm or bracket 31 which extends forwardly and approximately at right angles to the side members 17. The swing is supported by suspending members 32 which may consist of flexible elements, such as chains, or of rigid elements, such as metallic straps, the latter having been shown in the accom- ,obvious that the clamp 39 may 65 n panying illustrations. The upper ends of the susj'icnding members may be suspended from a frame B, as shown in the drawings, or they may be suspended from a porch roof or from any convenient support.

Connected with the lower ends of the suspending members 32 are divergent straps 33, 34, one of which is connected at its lower end with the pivot member 22, the other being connected by a bolt or pivot member 35 with the bracket 31. It will be readily seen that the swing when thus supported and suspended will permit the occupant to assume a substal'ltially upright seated position or a reclining position at various angles between the upright position and an almost or entirely horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 4. In assuming the various positions the occupant is aided by a foot rest 36 which extends forwardly from the lower end of the leg rest, approximately at right angles thereto, and against which the occupant may brace his feet to assist in bringing the swing to the desired position.

For the purpose of securing the swing in any desired adjusted position there is provided a locking device consisting of a strap 37 which is an extension of the supporting member The lower end of the strap extends through a U-shaped clip 39 which is secured on the outer face of the vertical flange 23 of the arm rest A by means of a bolt 40, a portion of which extends between the side members or limbs of the U-shaped clamp, said limbs being provided at their outer ends with inturned flanges 451 that serve to retain the strap 37 against displacement. The strap is provided with a series of apertures 42 at its lower end, said apertures being adapted to be placed in engagement with the projecting portion of the bolt 40 which constitutes a locking in. It is e secured on the arm rest by other means than a bolt, as herein shown, in which event a locking pin should be provided intermediate the limbs of the clamp, but as such construction would be virtually identical so far as the operation is concerned with the construction herein shown, it is not deemed necessary to make any particular illustration thereof. It is preferred that the limbs of the clamp 39 be provided with small projections 43 on the inner faces thereof, it being understood that the limbs of the clamp are sufficiently resilient to permit the strap 37 to pass said projections when being placed in or out of engagement with the locking pin or projection formed by the end of the bolt and specially designated by numeral 4%. It will be readily seen that when the strap 37 is positioned between the flanges 41 and the projections 43, it will not interefere with the adjustment of the swing to various positions at or between the extreme upright and the extreme reclining positions; by placing the locking pin 4% in engagement with one of the apertures 42, the swing may be secured in any of its extreme positions and also at various intermediate reclining positions, such as may be selected as best suited to the convenience of the occupant.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, it will be seen that I have produced a very simple, convenient and comfortable swing which, when properly proportioned, may be utilized as a swinging bed or hammock bed and which will also permit the occupant to assume any upright or reclining position that is most suited to his convenience. The swing may be folded very compactly for storage or shipment, When detached from the suspending devices it may be utilized as a porch bench by resting the back against the wall of a house, the leg and foot rest portions being supported on the floor. If it should be desired the back, the seat and the leg rest may be padded or upholstered in any suitable manner. It will also be observed that when the device is in use as a swing, the shoulders or offsets 27 formed by the notches 26 in. the arm rests will limit the forward swinging movement of the back whenthe latter is in a nearly upright position. preventing the back from tilting forward to the discomfort of the occupant.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a swing, a seat, a back pivoted thereto and having forwardly extending brackets, a leg rest pivotally connected with the seat and having upwardly extending side members, arm rests of L-shaped cross section connected pivotally at their forward ends with the upward extensions of the leg rest and at their rearward ends with the back, said L- shaped arm rests having notches producing shoulders that lie in the path of the back to limit the forward swinging movement thereof, brackets connected with the back being extended exteriorly of the arm rests; and rear suspending members connected with the brackets, front suspending members connected with the pivots whereby the leg rest is connected with the seat. and main suspending members with which the upper ends of the front and rear suspending members are connected.

2. In a reclining swing having a seat, a back, a leg rest and arm rests pivotally connected together, as herein described, a main suspending member and front and rear suspending members, a locking device consisting of a clamp secured on the arm rest, a locking pin between the limbs of the clamp, and a strap pivotally connected with the front and rear suspending members at their convergent upper ends, said strap forming a rigid extension of the main suspending member which extends upwardly with respect thereto, said strap being guided through the clamp and provided with aper tures for engagement with the locking pin.

3. In a reclining swing having a seat, a back, a leg rest and arm rests pivotally connected together, as herein described, a main suspending member and front and rear sus pending members, a locking device eonsisting of a clamp secured on the arm rest, a locking pin between the limbs of the clamp, and a strap pivotally connected with the front and rear suspending members at their convergent upper ends, said strap forming a rigid extension of the main suspending member which extends upwardly with respect thereto, said strap being guided through the clamp and provided with apertures for engagement with the locking pin, the limbs of the clamp being provided with inturned flanges to retain the strap and with inwardly extending projections to retain the strap in adjusted position in or out of engagement with the locking pin.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RAY W. POTTINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

